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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. band — a ring
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. suit — to fit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. suit — in cards
  14. band — a music group
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rash — hasty
  21. tube — a container
  22. rash — a series
  23. stand — to bear
  24. suit — clothes

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