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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rock — a stone
  10. suit — in cards
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — to fit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bank — of a river
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cue — a hint
  18. march — the month
  19. cue — a signal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rock — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. swing — music
  24. march — music

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