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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pit — in a race
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bark — to shout
  24. face — to point toward

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