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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — the season
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mate — a friend
  10. land — a country
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. scale — in music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cue — a hint

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