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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to click
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. firm — decided
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. game — a match
  23. mine — for digging
  24. wake — a trail

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