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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. squash — the sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. present — there
  9. rule — a law
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rule — government
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. present — the time now
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cell — in biology
  18. present — a gift
  19. snap — to click
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. staff — employees
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stand — to bear

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