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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: pit · fine · land · fork · cue · wave · mate · rush

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fine — all right
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cue — for pool
  13. land — to come down
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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