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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. band — a ring
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. swing — to play on
  7. band — a music group
  8. swing — music
  9. ball — a great time
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rock — a stone
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. squash — to crush
  15. sharp — clever
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rock — music
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. squash — the sport
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. hide — animal skin

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