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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. staff — a stick
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. staff — employees
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. staff — employees
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fine — all right
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. scale — in music
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mark — a trace

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