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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. spring — the season
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. court — for sport
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. spring — of water
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fork — in a road
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. court — of a king
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cue — for pool
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — of law
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. toast — bread

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