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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · rule · wake · cue · can · pit · rock · spring

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. can — a tin
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rule — government
  24. cue — a signal

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