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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kick — in football
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cue — a signal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. field — farmland
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cue — for pool

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