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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 116 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. current — happening now
  9. rock — a stone
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pit — a hole
  13. row — a line
  14. current — of water
  15. stem — to come from
  16. row — to paddle
  17. season — in sport
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. season — of the year
  20. rock — music
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. current — electric
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stem — a stem cell

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