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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. sharp — clever
  5. last — to go on
  6. cap — of ice
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. last — final
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ground — crushed
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cap — a lid
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. ground — the earth
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. last — finally
  21. stand — to bear
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — a position
  24. sharp — exactly

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