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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. net — in sport
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cue — a hint
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cue — a signal
  8. net — after costs
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. net — for catching
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pit — in a race

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