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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. net — in sport
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rule — a law
  6. cue — a signal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cue — for pool
  13. net — for catching
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. craft — boats
  18. rule — government
  19. saw — the tool
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — in a race
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pit — a hole

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