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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pit — in a race
  5. march — the month
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. degree — from a university
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. march — music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. march — the month
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pass — to spend time

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