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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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cue — a signal
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spring — of water
  11. staff — employees
  12. roll — a list
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — the season
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ball — a great time
  17. date — the fruit
  18. staff — employees
  19. ball — a dance
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. spring — a coil
  24. staff — a stick

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