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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 116 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cue — a signal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — tied together
  6. swing — music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cue — a hint
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bound — obliged
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. land — a country
  15. mark — a grade
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bound — certain
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. land — to come down
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. land — ground

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