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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. object — an aim
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. roll — a list
  5. content — happy
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. object — to protest
  8. last — finally
  9. drill — a practice
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. object — a thing
  13. drill — army training
  14. last — final
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stand — to bear
  18. last — to go on
  19. content — the amount
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. content — videos and posts

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