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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. deal — to handle
  3. last — final
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cue — a hint
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. root — of a word
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. root — of a plant
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. cue — a signal
  22. root — the cause
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — rain

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