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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wind — moving air
  8. track — a path
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mark — a trace
  13. track — a song
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fall — the season

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