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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mug — a face
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cue — a hint
  10. firm — a company
  11. content — happy
  12. firm — steady
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stand — to bear
  15. firm — decided
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mug — to rob
  21. content — the amount
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cold — an illness
  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