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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cue — a hint
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. season — in sport
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. clip — to cut
  14. scale — in music
  15. clip — a video
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. season — of the year
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cue — for pool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bound — certain

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