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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. cap — a lid
  6. board — to get on
  7. game — a match
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cue — a signal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cue — a hint
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cue — for pool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. kick — in football
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cap — a hat
  22. saw — the tool
  23. board — a committee
  24. straw — a straw man

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