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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. band — a ring
  9. land — to come down
  10. vault — a safe
  11. land — ground
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. land — a country
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. branch — a division
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. band — a music group

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