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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cue — a signal
  4. field — a subject
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cue — for pool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. field — for sport
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. field — farmland
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bowl — a football final

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