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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hand — in cards
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. firm — steady
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — decided
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cue — for pool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hand — help
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. firm — a company
  24. pitcher — a jug

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