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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. race — a contest
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mate — to breed
  7. season — of the year
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. season — in sport
  12. fine — all right
  13. race — humankind
  14. swing — in golf
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pit — in a race
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mate — a friend

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