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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. staff — employees
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pit — in a race
  11. craft — boats
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. key — for a lock
  17. staff — employees
  18. season — of the year
  19. pit — a hole
  20. staff — a stick
  21. key — the most important part
  22. season — in sport
  23. key — in music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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