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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — all right
  3. cue — for pool
  4. file — a tool
  5. game — a match
  6. cue — a signal
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cue — a hint
  9. can — to be able to
  10. file — a document
  11. can — a tin
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. file — a line of people

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