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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. board — a committee
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. content — happy
  6. cold — not warm
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. present — there
  11. content — the amount
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. board — to get on
  21. cold — an illness
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pit — in a race

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