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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 116 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: rule · mine · pitch · cold · cue · object · bore · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cue — a hint
  6. object — to protest
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. object — a thing
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cold — an illness
  17. stand — to bear
  18. object — an aim
  19. rule — a law
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rule — government
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. pitch — completely

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