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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 120 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. swing — music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. staff — employees
  8. cue — for pool
  9. clip — a video
  10. ground — a position
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. scale — in music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. staff — employees
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cue — a hint
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ground — crushed
  23. scale — size or range
  24. clip — to cut

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