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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. scale — in music
  4. land — to come down
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. land — ground
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mouse — for a computer

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