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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. court — of law
  3. cold — an illness
  4. press — to push
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cold — not warm
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. press — a publisher
  10. season — in sport
  11. press — newspapers
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. cue — a hint
  15. season — of the year
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. current — of water
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. staff — employees
  21. current — electric
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. current — happening now
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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