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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. track — a path
  3. squash — to crush
  4. present — the time now
  5. track — to keep track
  6. season — in sport
  7. track — a song
  8. drill — a practice
  9. swing — in golf
  10. squash — the sport
  11. swing — to play on
  12. drill — army training
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. swing — music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. present — a gift
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. season — of the year
  22. drill — the tool
  23. present — there
  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