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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · plane · cue · tear · cabinet · club · perch · board

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cue — a hint
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — the fish
  6. board — to get on
  7. club — a group
  8. cue — a signal
  9. club — for golf
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. board — a committee
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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