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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. pit — a hole
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — in sport
  4. club — a group
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cue — a signal
  12. net — after costs
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — for pool
  17. net — for catching
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mine — for digging
  20. club — for golf
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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