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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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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: cue · pit · land · fine · arm · bear · present · rash

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. land — ground
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — a gift
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. present — the time now
  10. rash — a series
  11. present — there
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cue — a hint
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fine — all right
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. land — to come down
  23. bear — the animal
  24. land — a country

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