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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cold — not warm
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ball — a great time
  11. squash — the sport
  12. firm — a company
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stock — shares
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. game — a match
  17. firm — steady
  18. cold — an illness
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stock — goods
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ball — a dance
  24. firm — decided

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