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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. craft — boats
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chip — for betting
  18. craft — a skill
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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