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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cue — a hint
  8. object — a thing
  9. roll — a list
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cue — for pool
  13. kid — child
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. roll — a cake
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. kid — to tease
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. object — to protest
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pit — in a race
  23. suit — clothes
  24. object — an aim

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