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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chest — of your body
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. club — a group
  10. spring — of water
  11. game — a match
  12. roll — a list
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chest — of your body
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — the season
  22. can — a tin
  23. stand — to bear
  24. chest — a box

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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