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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cue — for pool
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cue — a hint
  10. staff — employees
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fall — to drop
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fall — the season
  24. staff — employees

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