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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: ball · roll · deal · patient · stand · drill · cue · cold

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stand — to bear
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. roll — a list
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ball — a dance
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cold — not warm
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. drill — the tool
  17. deal — to handle
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cue — a signal
  20. drill — army training
  21. cue — for pool
  22. roll — a cake
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cold — an illness

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