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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. last — finally
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. present — there
  8. last — final
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — a grade
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cue — a hint
  16. last — to go on
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. court — of a king
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. court — of law
  24. mark — to pay attention

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