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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cue — a signal
  16. field — for sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. field — a subject
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. field — farmland
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ball — a dance

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