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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stand — to bear
  5. can — to be able to
  6. court — of a king
  7. file — a document
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. court — for sport
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rest — a break
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. file — a line of people
  16. toast — bread
  17. can — a tin
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bass — the fish
  20. file — a tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — a tin
  24. stand — on your feet

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