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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cell — a phone
  3. squash — the sport
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. file — a line of people
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fine — all right
  16. cell — in biology
  17. tube — a container
  18. stand — to bear
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. file — a document
  21. fine — high quality
  22. file — a tool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. racket — a loud noise

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