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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cue — for pool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. capital — a city
  7. spring — of water
  8. club — for golf
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pit — a hole
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spring — the season
  14. cue — a signal
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wind — moving air
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. capital — money
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cue — a hint
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. club — a group
  23. pit — in a race
  24. plane — a tool

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