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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitch — completely
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fine — all right
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wind — moving air
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ground — a position
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cue — for pool
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — clothes

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