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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. suit — clothes
  3. band — a music group
  4. cold — an illness
  5. suit — in cards
  6. band — a ring
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cold — not warm
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rest — what's left
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rest — a break
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. snap — to click
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — a match
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. suit — to fit

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