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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. drill — army training
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. file — a tool
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. last — to go on
  24. file — a document

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