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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. game — wild animals
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. game — a match
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. track — a path
  9. season — of the year
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rest — a break
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. season — in sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stand — to bear
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fork — in a road
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. track — a song

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