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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cue — for pool
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cue — a hint
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. present — the time now
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. pop — soda
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pop — music
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chair — a leader
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stand — to bear
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bear — the animal

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