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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pop — music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cold — not warm
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pop — soda
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pit — in a race
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. pop — to visit
  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