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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.

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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. season — in sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. track — a song
  7. season — of the year
  8. current — electric
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. track — to keep track
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer

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