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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cold — not warm
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. season — in sport
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cold — an illness
  11. season — of the year
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pit — in a race
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. season — to add flavour

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