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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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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. charge — in control
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. march — the month
  10. game — wild animals
  11. hand — help
  12. charge — a price
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. march — music
  15. game — a match
  16. march — the month
  17. hand — in cards
  18. charge — electricity

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