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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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 fruit stone
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cue — a hint
  8. drill — army training
  9. cue — a signal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. content — happy
  12. pit — a hole
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chair — a leader
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. kick — in football
  23. chair — a professorship
  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