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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. suit — to fit
  9. deal — to handle
  10. club — for golf
  11. court — of law
  12. saw — the tool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. court — of a king
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stand — to bear
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wind — moving air
  23. suit — in cards
  24. court — for sport

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