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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stand — to bear
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rule — government
  8. band — a music group
  9. cue — a hint
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rule — a law
  23. bat — the animal
  24. band — a ring

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