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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cue — a hint
  6. court — for sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stock — goods
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. court — of a king
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stock — shares
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. court — of law
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mug — a cup

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