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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. kid — to tease
  3. cue — for pool
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. stand — to bear
  8. kick — in football
  9. suit — in cards
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. track — a path
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. suit — to fit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. band — a ring
  19. cue — a hint
  20. band — a music group
  21. kid — child
  22. track — to keep track
  23. date — the fruit
  24. track — a song

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