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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ground — a position
  3. kid — child
  4. bank — of a river
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ground — the earth
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cue — a hint
  12. scale — in music
  13. vault — a safe
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ground — crushed
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bank — for money
  24. leaves — of a tree

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