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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cue — a signal
  6. capital — money
  7. stock — goods
  8. cue — a hint
  9. capital — a city
  10. chip — for betting
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stock — shares
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rule — government
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rule — a law
  23. cue — for pool
  24. perch — the fish

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