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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wake — a trail
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cue — a signal
  16. spell — letters
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spell — magic
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. land — to come down
  21. chair — a leader
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. chair — a professorship

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