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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. craft — a skill
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pit — a hole
  9. craft — boats
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. staff — employees
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hand — help
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pit — in a race

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