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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cue — for pool
  4. shower — rain
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. season — in sport
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rule — government
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. season — of the year
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. cap — a hat
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rule — a law

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