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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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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: bulb · pitcher · last · racket · pit · charge · cue · fork

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pit — a hole
  4. charge — a price
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fork — in a road
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. last — to go on
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. charge — in control
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bulb — for light

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