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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rash — hasty
  10. chip — to eat
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cue — a signal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rash — a series
  16. march — music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pop — soda
  21. march — the month
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. bowl — a football final

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