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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rule — a law
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cue — for pool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cue — a hint
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. bass — low music
  15. court — of law
  16. vault — a safe
  17. court — for sport
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. court — of a king
  21. deal — to handle
  22. perch — the fish
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cue — a signal

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