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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rule — government
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. game — a match
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. field — farmland
  11. rule — a law
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. field — a subject
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ball — a dance
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. field — for sport
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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