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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. key — in music
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — the most important part
  10. shower — to wash
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ground — crushed
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ground — the earth
  17. craft — boats
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. ground — a position
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. shower — rain

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