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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. squash — the sport
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. last — final
  9. cell — a phone
  10. last — finally
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. key — the most important part
  18. can — a tin
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. squash — to crush
  21. last — to go on
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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