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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cue — for pool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cold — not warm
  24. dip — to dunk

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