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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: key · chair · cue · pitch · wake · tear · stand · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cue — for pool
  11. key — in music
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cue — a hint
  15. chair — a leader
  16. key — the most important part
  17. drill — army training
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pitch — completely
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. tear — to rip
  24. stand — to bear

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