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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. season — of the year
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spell — magic
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cold — an illness
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. spell — letters
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. date — the fruit

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