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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. game — a match
  4. roll — a list
  5. face — to point toward
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. roll — a cake
  13. season — of the year
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. face — to confront
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. season — in sport
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. face — part of the head

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