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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wake — a trail
  4. sharp — clever
  5. court — of law
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. drill — army training
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. court — for sport
  12. drill — a practice
  13. court — of a king
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bat — the animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stand — to bear

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