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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: bay · roll · pit · wind · cue · press · stem · row

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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 quarrel
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. roll — a cake
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pit — a hole
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cue — a hint
  18. roll — a list
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wind — moving air

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