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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. last — to go on
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. last — finally
  9. cue — for pool
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. shower — rain
  13. pitch — completely
  14. roll — a list
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. swing — music
  18. last — final
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. shower — to wash
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pit — in a race

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