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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stand — to bear
  11. roll — a list
  12. court — for sport
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. court — of law
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. roll — a cake
  22. court — of a king
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bay — a horse colour

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