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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. branch — a division
  3. cue — a hint
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stand — to bear
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. cue — for pool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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