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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pit — in a race
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. spell — magic
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. spell — letters
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rock — music
  24. spell — a short time

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