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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cue — a hint
  12. kid — child
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. present — a gift
  23. cap — a lid
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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