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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mug — to rob
  3. date — the fruit
  4. game — a match
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mug — a cup
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stock — goods
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cue — a hint
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. scale — in music
  17. stock — shares
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mug — a face
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. scale — size or range
  24. date — on the calendar

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