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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. suit — in cards
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stand — to bear
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cell — in biology
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. kid — child
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bat — the animal

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