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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — to play on
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. swing — in golf
  16. capital — money
  17. swing — music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  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