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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of a king
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. prune — to trim
  10. court — for sport
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. court — of law
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rash — a series
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. prune — to trim
  19. dip — to sink
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — a signal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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