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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. squash — to crush
  4. race — a contest
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. scale — in music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fall — to drop
  10. can — a tin
  11. staff — employees
  12. scale — size or range
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. game — wild animals
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — the season
  22. game — a match
  23. stand — to bear
  24. can — to be able to

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