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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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Word bank
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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: kick · pop · cue · sharp · cell · chair · stand · bark

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cell — a phone
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pop — soda
  10. kick — in football
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pop — music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chair — a leader
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bark — of a tree

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