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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. scale — in music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cell — in biology
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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