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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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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: bear · court · cue · capital · cold · lie · rock · stand

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cold — an illness
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cold — not warm
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rock — a stone
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rock — music
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — for sport
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — of a king
  24. cue — a hint

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