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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. net — for catching
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rash — a series
  11. game — a match
  12. prune — to trim
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pit — a hole

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