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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. suit — in cards
  5. scale — in music
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pit — a hole
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — for pool
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rest — a break
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cue — a signal

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