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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. band — a ring
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. face — to confront
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — to point toward
  15. track — to keep track
  16. face — part of the head
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. track — a path

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