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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ground — crushed
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ground — a position
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. mark — a grade
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pit — a hole
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. branch — a division
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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