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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. land — to come down
  3. mark — a grade
  4. band — a music group
  5. land — ground
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. land — a country
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mark — a trace
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. key — the most important part
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wind — moving air
  18. band — a ring
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cue — for pool
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. cue — a hint

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