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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wake — a trail
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bat — the animal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. suit — clothes
  9. club — a group
  10. can — a tin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. club — for dancing
  15. can — a tin
  16. club — for golf
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. can — to be able to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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