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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fall — the season
  4. current — electric
  5. pit — in a race
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cue — for pool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — happening now
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bear — the animal
  24. current — of water

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