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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. present — the time now
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. present — a gift
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cue — a hint
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. swing — to play on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pit — in a race
  19. swing — music
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wind — moving air
  23. present — there
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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