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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 124 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bank — for money
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pop — to visit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cue — for pool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. field — farmland
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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