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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cue — a signal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cue — a hint
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bat — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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