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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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468
Word bank
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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pitch — completely
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — the time now
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. present — a gift
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cue — for pool
  23. present — there
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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