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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · stand · straw · cell · cue · mate · coach · march

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cue — for pool
  3. march — the month
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. march — music
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cue — a hint
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stand — to bear
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cell — a phone
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mate — a friend
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mate — to breed
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. mate — a partner
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — the month
  24. cue — a signal

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