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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. swing — music
  4. stand — to bear
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bound — obliged
  7. season — in sport
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bound — tied together
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bound — certain
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. race — the arms race
  15. swing — to play on
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. squash — to crush
  18. swing — in golf
  19. race — a contest
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. race — humankind
  24. sharp — clever

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