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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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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: cue · pit · hand · wake · pass · drill

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. hand — help
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pass — a permit
  18. 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