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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. court — of a king
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. court — of law
  9. stand — to bear
  10. court — for sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — certain
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lie — to recline
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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