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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fork — in a road
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. clip — a video
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pop — soda
  17. cue — for pool
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mouse — for a computer

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