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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. clip — a video
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pitch — completely
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fall — the season

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