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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. land — a country
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cue — a signal
  9. club — a group
  10. pit — a hole
  11. land — ground
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. spell — magic
  14. land — to come down
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bark — to shout
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. spell — a short time
  23. club — for golf
  24. cue — a hint

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