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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ground — crushed
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. squash — to crush
  8. band — a ring
  9. rock — music
  10. ground — a position
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ground — the earth
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. band — a music group
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mate — to breed
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. game — a kind of play

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