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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cap — a hat
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cue — a hint
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cap — a lid
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pop — soda
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mug — a face
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. staff — employees
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. staff — employees
  20. pop — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mug — a cup
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mug — to rob

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