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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cue — for pool
  4. court — of law
  5. stand — to bear
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. court — for sport
  9. cold — an illness
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cold — not warm
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stock — shares
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stock — goods
  20. cue — a hint
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. court — of a king
  23. cue — a signal
  24. prune — to trim

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