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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cue — a hint
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rule — a law
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. chip — to eat
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. rule — government
  24. mouse — the animal

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