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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pop — to visit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pop — music
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lean — thin
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pop — soda
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wound — an injury

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