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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. date — the fruit
  13. press — to push
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pass — a permit
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cue — for pool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitch — completely

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