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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · mug · bay · bark · cue · clip · chip · ball

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cue — a hint
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. clip — a video
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ball — a great time

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