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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · stand · squash · bear · game · drill

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. drill — the tool
  3. game — wild animals
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bear — the animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mark — a trace
  8. drill — army training
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — the sport

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