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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cue — for pool
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. scale — size or range
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — a signal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — in music
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lean — to bend
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lean — thin
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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