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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rash — hasty
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ground — a position
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rash — a series
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. drill — army training
  21. mark — a grade
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fork — to eat with

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