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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pop — music
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pop — soda
  9. shower — rain
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cue — a signal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. shower — to wash
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pop — to visit
  22. board — to get on
  23. cue — for pool
  24. board — a committee

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