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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. game — a match
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. land — ground
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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