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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cue — for pool
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. club — for golf
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lie — to recline
  11. drill — army training
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — a group
  18. pit — in a race
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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