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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rush — hurry
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ground — a position
  15. hand — help
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mate — a friend
  20. ground — crushed
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — the fish
  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