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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. row — to paddle
  10. content — happy
  11. cue — for pool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. club — for dancing
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. club — a group
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. row — a line

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