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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · last · rash · game · bore · racket · stand · key

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. game — a match
  3. rash — a series
  4. stand — to bear
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. last — to go on
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. last — final
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bore — to tire
  18. key — the most important part
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rash — hasty
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. last — finally
  24. cold — an illness

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