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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 120 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bear — the animal
  5. game — a match
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. game — wild animals
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. deal — to handle
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. drill — army training
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rule — to rule out

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