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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cap — a lid
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cue — a hint
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fork — in a road
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cold — not warm
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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