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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 112 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. land — a country
  6. march — the month
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. march — the month
  10. club — for golf
  11. march — music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. land — ground
  14. season — in sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. season — of the year
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. club — a group
  20. stand — to bear
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ball — a dance
  24. land — to come down

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