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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rock — music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. staff — employees
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. staff — a stick
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cue — a hint
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. staff — employees

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