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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — to bear
  4. squash — to crush
  5. game — a match
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — decided
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. march — music
  16. root — of a word
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. firm — steady
  19. root — the cause
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. march — the month
  22. game — wild animals
  23. firm — a company
  24. root — of a plant

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