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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. firm — decided
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. firm — a company
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. roll — a list
  16. foot — a measure
  17. firm — steady
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com