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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. charge — in control
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ball — a dance
  5. march — the month
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cell — in biology
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spring — a coil
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. march — music
  17. spring — of water
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. spring — the season
  20. charge — a price
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cell — a phone
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. march — the month

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