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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. board — to get on
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. club — a group
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cue — a hint
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. club — for dancing
  18. board — a committee
  19. club — for golf
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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