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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. game — a match
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pop — to visit
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pop — music
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pop — soda
  11. race — the arms race
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. season — in sport
  16. squash — the sport
  17. race — a contest
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. suit — in cards
  21. snap — to click
  22. game — wild animals
  23. season — of the year
  24. race — humankind

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