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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. race — a contest
  8. cue — a hint
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — humankind
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stock — goods
  18. pit — in a race
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stock — shares
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pit — a hole
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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