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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. drill — the tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. drill — army training
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. wake — a trail
  24. content — videos and posts

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