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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 120 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: bowl · kick · cold · stand · suit · racket · staff · kid

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. kid — to tease
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. staff — a stick
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cold — an illness
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stand — to bear
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kick — in football
  16. staff — employees
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. staff — employees
  20. kid — child
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cold — not warm
  24. suit — clothes

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