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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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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 · pitch · tear · current · rest · face · fork · pit

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cue — a hint
  3. current — electric
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rest — a break
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. tear — to rip
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. current — of water
  17. face — to point toward
  18. tear — from crying
  19. face — to confront
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rest — what's left

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