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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. last — finally
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pass — a permit
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. cue — a hint

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