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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cue — for pool
  5. kid — child
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. drill — army training
  8. mate — a partner
  9. drill — a practice
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stand — to bear
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cue — a signal
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mate — a friend
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mark — a grade

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