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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cue — for pool
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cold — not warm
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cue — a signal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. drill — a practice
  10. court — of law
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. suit — to fit
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cold — an illness
  18. drill — army training
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mark — a trace

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