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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. hand — in cards
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. scale — in music
  6. hand — help
  7. stand — to bear
  8. sharp — clever
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. band — a ring
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. band — a music group

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