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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. current — of water
  3. game — a match
  4. mark — a trace
  5. court — of law
  6. current — happening now
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. staff — a stick
  10. court — for sport
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. court — of a king
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stand — to bear
  22. current — electric
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pass — to succeed

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