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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. court — of law
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. chest — of your body
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bore — to drill
  13. court — for sport
  14. cue — a hint
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. court — of a king
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cue — a signal
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bore — to tire
  24. squash — to crush

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