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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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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. object — to protest
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. current — happening now
  5. stand — to bear
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pop — soda
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pop — music
  10. object — a thing
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pop — to visit
  13. object — an aim
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. game — a match
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth

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