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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rule — a law
  3. mug — to rob
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rule — government
  7. mug — a cup
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ground — a position
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cue — a hint
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mug — a face
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in 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