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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. squash — the sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. last — to go on
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. last — finally
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. game — a match
  11. pop — soda
  12. last — final
  13. game — wild animals
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pop — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. squash — to crush
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pop — to visit
  24. straw — dry grass

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