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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. content — happy
  6. drill — a practice
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. content — the amount
  9. drill — army training
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rest — what's left
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rest — what's left
  14. court — for sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rock — a stone
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rest — a break
  23. bowl — a dish
  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