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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. last — finally
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. court — of law
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. court — of a king
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stand — to bear
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pit — in a race
  13. court — for sport
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bear — the animal
  16. last — final
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cue — a hint
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bear — to put up with

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