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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rock — music
  5. cell — in biology
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. snap — to click
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. club — a group
  16. land — to come down
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cell — a phone
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. land — ground
  21. rock — a stone
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. club — for golf
  24. land — a country

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