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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stand — to bear
  4. march — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. march — the month
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. game — a match
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. swing — music
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. swing — to play on

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