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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. last — final
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. last — to go on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cue — a signal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. press — to push
  15. last — finally
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. press — newspapers
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stand — to bear
  23. press — a publisher
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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