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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pop — soda
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pop — music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pop — to visit
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hand — in cards
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. net — for catching
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cap — of ice
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. cue — a signal
  23. scale — in music
  24. hand — help

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