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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. court — for sport
  3. suit — in cards
  4. can — to be able to
  5. court — of a king
  6. stand — to bear
  7. snap — to click
  8. court — of law
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. squash — to crush
  12. race — a contest
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. can — a tin
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. can — a tin
  22. charge — in control
  23. race — humankind
  24. squash — the sport

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