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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. key — in music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stand — to bear
  11. key — for a lock
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chair — a leader
  14. suit — clothes
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — the season
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stand — on your feet

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