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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ball — a dance
  3. season — in sport
  4. shower — to wash
  5. content — the amount
  6. game — wild animals
  7. suit — clothes
  8. roll — a cake
  9. season — of the year
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. content — happy
  14. suit — to fit
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. game — a match
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. season — to add flavour

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