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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. craft — boats
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spell — magic
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. perch — the fish
  11. game — a match
  12. craft — a skill
  13. spell — a short time
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. spell — letters
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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