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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pass — a permit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. squash — the vegetable

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