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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. object — an aim
  8. field — farmland
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — a series
  19. field — a subject
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. rash — hasty
  23. field — for sport
  24. stand — to bear

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