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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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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bound — certain
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cue — a hint
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. perch — the fish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cue — for pool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. perch — for a bird

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