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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: cue · drill · can · key · pit · stem · fine · cold

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — an illness
  4. pit — a hole
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cue — for pool
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. drill — army training
  18. can — a tin
  19. key — in music
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. key — for a lock

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