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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pop — soda
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. swing — to play on
  8. season — in sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rest — a break
  11. cue — a hint
  12. swing — music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pop — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. staff — employees
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. land — a country
  23. pop — to visit
  24. season — of the year

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