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

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cue — a hint
  8. club — a group
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. roll — a cake
  12. key — in music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. club — for golf
  19. cue — for pool
  20. roll — a list
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wake — a trail
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pit — in a race

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