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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cue — a signal
  4. date — the fruit
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. staff — employees
  9. cue — for pool
  10. scale — size or range
  11. race — humankind
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cue — a hint
  14. staff — employees
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fine — all right
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bore — to tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mug — a cup
  22. scale — in music
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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