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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pit — in a race
  12. drill — army training
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fine — all right
  21. scale — in music
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pit — a hole

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