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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ground — a position
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. track — to keep track
  15. hand — in cards
  16. track — a song
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. track — a path
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ground — the earth
  22. hand — help
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mouse — the animal

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