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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. degree — from a university
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mate — a partner
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. charge — in control
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cue — for pool
  20. charge — a price
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. charge — electricity

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