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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. season — of the year
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stand — to bear
  11. board — a committee
  12. season — in sport
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. content — the amount
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bulb — for light
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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