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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bound — certain
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cue — a hint
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. club — for golf
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bound — obliged
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bowl — to roll

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