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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cold — an illness
  3. mark — a grade
  4. can — a tin
  5. cold — not warm
  6. firm — decided
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spring — of water
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. spring — the season
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cue — a hint
  21. can — a tin
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. spring — a coil

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