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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. charge — in control
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cue — a hint
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. charge — electricity
  14. date — the fruit
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — a price
  24. date — on the calendar

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