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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pitch — completely
  11. deal — to handle
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stock — goods
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cell — a phone
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bound — certain
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cell — in biology
  24. stand — to bear

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