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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. current — happening now
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rash — a series
  10. current — electric
  11. cue — for pool
  12. land — ground
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. land — to come down
  15. prune — to trim
  16. current — of water
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stand — to bear
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wound — an injury
  21. land — a country
  22. season — of the year
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. season — in sport

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