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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ground — a position
  4. pop — music
  5. fine — all right
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cue — a hint
  8. ground — the earth
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wind — moving air
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pop — soda
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cue — for pool
  24. perch — for a bird

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