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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. stand — to bear
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rush — hurry
  6. kick — in football
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bark — to shout
  15. band — a music group
  16. dip — to sink
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cue — a signal
  21. band — a ring
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  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