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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. track — a song
  3. rush — hurry
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. staff — a stick
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. staff — employees
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. staff — employees
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. game — a match
  19. ball — a dance
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. game — wild animals
  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