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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cue — a hint
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. firm — a company
  8. cue — for pool
  9. firm — decided
  10. face — to point toward
  11. firm — steady
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cue — a signal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. staff — employees
  20. face — to confront
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stand — to bear
  23. staff — employees
  24. sharp — with an edge

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