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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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 — on your feet
  2. bound — certain
  3. track — a song
  4. court — of law
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. land — to come down
  8. court — of a king
  9. bound — obliged
  10. court — for sport
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mug — a face
  13. land — ground
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bound — tied together
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. track — a path
  21. ball — a great time
  22. land — a country
  23. ball — a dance
  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