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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cold — an illness
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. branch — a division
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kid — child
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cold — not warm
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cue — a signal
  24. deal — an agreement

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