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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pit — in a race
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cue — for pool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. swing — in golf
  10. kick — in football
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cue — a signal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. key — in music
  20. pit — a hole
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. key — the most important part
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. saw — the tool

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