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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pop — soda
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pop — music
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cap — a hat
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cue — a signal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rash — a series
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rash — hasty
  24. patient — a sick person

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