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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. rock — music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cell — a phone
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hand — help
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. land — a country
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. hand — in cards
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cue — a hint

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