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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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Word bank
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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: cue · spell · lean · mate · club · suit · pop · scale

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. spell — letters
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cue — a hint
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lean — to bend
  9. club — for dancing
  10. spell — magic
  11. pop — soda
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. club — for golf
  14. scale — size or range
  15. suit — clothes
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cue — for pool
  19. club — a group
  20. lean — thin
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pop — music
  23. scale — in music
  24. mate — a friend

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