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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. current — happening now
  3. land — to come down
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. current — of water
  6. season — of the year
  7. land — ground
  8. current — electric
  9. saw — the tool
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stand — to bear
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. land — a country
  14. season — in sport
  15. track — a song
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — in music
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. track — a path
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. track — to keep track

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