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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. suit — to fit
  4. last — finally
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. sharp — clever
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stock — goods
  11. last — final
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. last — to go on
  17. stock — shares
  18. foot — a measure
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — to bear
  24. suit — in cards

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