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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fine — all right
  5. stand — to bear
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. squash — the sport
  16. shower — rain
  17. fine — high quality
  18. game — wild animals
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ball — a great time
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. game — a kind of play

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