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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 116 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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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: tear · pit · patient · rock · ball · mouse · stick · cue

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cue — a signal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cue — for pool

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