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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 124 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fall — the season
  8. pit — a hole
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pop — music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — in a race
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cue — a signal
  21. net — in sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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