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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. track — a song
  3. march — music
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. track — a path
  7. cap — a hat
  8. track — to keep track
  9. kid — child
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. march — the month
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. kid — to tease
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stem — to come from
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. march — the month
  24. cue — a hint

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