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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. land — a country
  5. band — a ring
  6. stand — to bear
  7. land — to come down
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rush — hurry
  13. band — a music group
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. can — a tin
  16. land — ground
  17. swing — to play on
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. swing — music
  23. last — finally
  24. band — a rubber band

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