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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. land — to come down
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. file — a document
  6. can — to be able to
  7. staff — a stick
  8. track — a path
  9. sharp — clever
  10. can — a tin
  11. land — ground
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. perch — the fish
  14. can — a tin
  15. track — a song
  16. land — a country
  17. file — a line of people
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cue — for pool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. file — a tool
  24. cue — a hint

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