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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pop — soda
  6. roll — a cake
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. roll — a list
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pop — music
  20. scale — in music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. roll — on a roll

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