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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. last — to go on
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cue — a signal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ball — a great time
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. last — finally
  15. ball — a dance
  16. last — final
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. game — a match
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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