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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cue — a hint
  4. row — a line
  5. swing — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. staff — employees
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. staff — a stick
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. swing — in golf
  13. row — to paddle
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cue — for pool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. staff — employees
  23. cue — a signal
  24. land — ground

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