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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cue — a signal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. tube — a container
  8. cue — for pool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. kid — child
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tube — the underground
  18. game — a match
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cue — a hint
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. scale — size or range
  24. kid — to tease

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