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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 120 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tear — to rip
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitch — completely
  18. spring — of water
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cold — an illness
  24. spring — the season

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