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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pit — in a race
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cue — a hint
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cold — not warm
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. club — a group
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bass — low music
  22. club — for dancing
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bass — the instrument

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