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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mark — a grade
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. season — in sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. branch — a division
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — a trace
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. season — of the year
  24. cue — for pool

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