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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 116 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cue — a hint
  15. branch — a division
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cue — for pool
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. scale — in music
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bass — low music
  24. fine — all right

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