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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cue — a signal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — a hint
  6. net — in sport
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. object — an aim
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mug — a face
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — for catching
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fall — the season
  19. object — a thing
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. prune — to trim
  23. object — to protest
  24. net — after costs

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