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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. fork — in a road
  3. hand — help
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. roll — a list
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hand — in cards

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