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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 120 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: bowl · key · cue · perch · lie · ball · mouse · straw

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. key — in music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ball — a dance
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — a signal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ball — a great time
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cue — a hint
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. lie — to recline
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bowl — to roll

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