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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. kick — in football
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. tube — a container
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pop — music
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pop — soda

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