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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 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — ground
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rest — a break
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stand — to bear
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. toast — bread
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. deal — to handle
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rest — what's left

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