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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. can — to be able to
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rock — music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. court — of law
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. can — a tin
  14. squash — to crush
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. stand — to bear
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pass — a permit

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