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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. roll — a cake
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pop — soda
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. cue — a signal
  15. object — a thing
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. object — to protest
  18. cue — for pool
  19. roll — a list
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mouse — the animal

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