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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. last — finally
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. last — to go on
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cue — for pool
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. last — final
  16. swing — in golf
  17. game — wild animals
  18. squash — to crush

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