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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pop — music
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cue — a signal
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pop — soda
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pound — a weight
  24. leaves — lets stay

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