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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pass — a permit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cold — not warm
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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