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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: suit · cold · pop · ball · rush · stand · key · row

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. suit — clothes
  5. row — a line
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. row — to paddle
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pop — music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cold — an illness
  23. key — in music
  24. stand — for spectators

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