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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cue — a signal
  4. court — for sport
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. sharp — clever
  13. club — a group
  14. court — of a king
  15. club — for golf
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cue — a hint
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. last — finally
  21. court — of law
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cue — for pool
  24. club — for dancing

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