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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rock — music
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kid — to tease
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hand — in cards
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rock — a stone
  14. hand — help
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. kid — child
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — a penalty

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