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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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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 — for pool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. net — in sport
  4. cue — a signal
  5. net — for catching
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ground — a position
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. net — after costs
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mate — a partner
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. roll — a list
  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