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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. spring — of water
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bank — for money
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bank — for money
  22. last — finally
  23. spring — the season
  24. cue — a hint

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