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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cue — a hint
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. snap — to click
  11. swing — to play on
  12. net — in sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pit — a hole
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. kid — child
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. net — for catching
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. swing — music
  23. cue — for pool
  24. swing — in golf

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