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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. file — a tool
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a line of people
  8. squash — to crush
  9. file — a document
  10. rash — a series
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rest — what's left
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rest — a break
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fall — the season
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rock — to move gently
  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