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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pop — soda
  5. tube — a container
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pop — music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pit — a hole

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