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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rule — a law
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. squash — the sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rule — government
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cue — for pool

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