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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bound — certain
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bass — low music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bound — obliged
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. snap — to click
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cap — a hat

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