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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. net — in sport
  3. charge — in control
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. file — a tool
  8. net — after costs
  9. tear — from crying
  10. file — a line of people
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. suit — clothes
  15. charge — a price
  16. net — for catching
  17. file — a document
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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