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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — to visit
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pop — music
  23. ground — a position
  24. hide — animal skin

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