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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. current — electric
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. band — a ring
  15. current — of water
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. band — a music group
  21. deal — to handle
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. current — happening now
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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