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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. squash — to crush
  10. charge — a price
  11. cue — for pool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. face — to confront
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chest — of your body
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. chest — a box
  22. cue — a hint
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. deal — a big deal

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