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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. club — for golf
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cue — for pool
  11. file — a document
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cap — a lid
  20. file — a tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. cue — a signal

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