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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fine — all right
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fine — high quality
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. scale — in music
  14. rock — music
  15. cold — not warm
  16. season — of the year
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mate — a friend
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cold — an illness
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cue — a signal

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