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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cue — a signal
  3. content — happy
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. squash — to crush
  11. band — a music group
  12. cue — a hint
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mate — a friend
  16. content — the amount
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rest — what's left
  21. band — a ring
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rest — a break

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