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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 120 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. staff — a stick
  5. band — a ring
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stand — to bear
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. band — a music group
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. staff — employees
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. hand — help
  19. staff — employees
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stand — for spectators

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