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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. season — in sport
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cue — a signal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mate — a partner
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ball — a great time
  12. season — of the year
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cue — for pool
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. pit — in a race
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mate — a friend
  23. nail — on a finger
  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