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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chair — a leader
  3. swing — music
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. suit — clothes
  10. swing — in golf
  11. shower — to wash
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cue — a signal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. shower — rain
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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