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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stand — to bear
  5. court — of law
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. race — humankind
  11. court — for sport
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. land — a country
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cue — a hint
  17. court — of a king
  18. race — a contest
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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