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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. fall — the season
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. dip — to sink
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cue — a hint
  12. clip — to cut
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. season — of the year
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ball — a dance

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