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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · key · hide · cue · fine · board · wake · pit

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cue — a hint
  3. board — a committee
  4. pit — in a race
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wake — a trail
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pit — a hole
  15. board — to get on
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fine — all right
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. key — in music
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mug — a face
  24. cue — a signal

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