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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cue — a signal
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fall — to drop
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cue — for pool
  9. toast — bread
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. press — newspapers
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fall — the season
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fall — to drop
  23. press — to push
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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