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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wind — moving air
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cue — a signal
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a document
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. file — a tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cue — for pool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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