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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bound — obliged
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mate — a friend
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bound — tied together
  9. content — the amount
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bass — low music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bound — certain
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. content — happy
  23. mate — a partner
  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