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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · cell · fine · game · chair · cue

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. game — a match
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fine — all right
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chair — to sit on

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