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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. game — a match
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stand — to bear
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. squash — the sport
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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