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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.

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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: row · pit · content · bark · cue · ball · stick · snap

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. row — a line
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. snap — to click
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ball — a great time
  7. row — to paddle
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ball — a dance
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. content — happy
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pit — a hole
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cue — a signal
  22. content — the amount
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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