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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — in sport
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stand — to bear
  6. season — of the year
  7. bear — the animal
  8. land — ground
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. land — a country
  18. mark — a grade
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. land — to come down
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. season — to add flavour

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