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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. land — a country
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. fine — all right
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. land — ground
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fine — high quality
  18. land — to come down
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ball — a round shape

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