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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. track — a path
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pit — a hole
  6. spell — a short time
  7. present — there
  8. last — finally
  9. pit — in a race
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cue — a signal
  12. spell — magic
  13. track — a song
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. last — to go on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. spell — letters
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. last — final

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