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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. charge — a price
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ground — a position
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cue — a signal
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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