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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. swing — music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cap — a lid
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pit — in a race
  11. row — to paddle
  12. swing — in golf
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. row — a line
  20. cue — a signal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. nail — for a hammer

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