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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pop — to visit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pop — soda
  6. scale — in music
  7. court — for sport
  8. cue — for pool
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pop — music
  14. object — a thing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. court — of a king
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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