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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · pit · fine · pitcher · fall · track · cue · bass

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bass — low music
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. track — a song
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fine — all right
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — a path
  22. fall — the season
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. hide — to keep secret

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