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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bore — to tire
  3. clip — to cut
  4. spell — magic
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — to drill
  7. spell — a short time
  8. clip — for paper
  9. prune — to trim
  10. clip — a video
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. spell — letters
  17. present — the time now
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stand — to bear
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. stand — for spectators

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