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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. saw — the tool
  3. game — a match
  4. cold — an illness
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stand — to bear
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cold — not warm
  14. game — wild animals
  15. current — of water
  16. perch — the fish
  17. current — electric
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ball — a great time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. current — happening now
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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