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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. court — for sport
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. can — a tin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pop — soda
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. can — a tin
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. court — of a king
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cue — for pool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — to be able to
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pop — music
  24. court — of law

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