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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 124 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. last — final
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — a song
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. spring — the season
  14. last — finally
  15. cue — a hint
  16. craft — a skill
  17. content — the amount
  18. track — to keep track
  19. spring — of water
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cue — for pool
  22. track — a path
  23. last — to go on
  24. content — happy

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