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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: last · roll · squash · stand · rule · fan · ball · bat

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. last — to go on
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ball — a dance
  10. roll — a cake
  11. last — final
  12. squash — the sport
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. last — finally
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — to crush
  23. roll — a list
  24. ball — a great time

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