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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. track — a path
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. track — a song
  13. mark — a trace
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cue — a hint
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cue — a signal
  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