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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chest — a box
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fine — all right
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pit — a hole
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — music
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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