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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. current — happening now
  6. staff — employees
  7. current — of water
  8. mine — for digging
  9. staff — employees
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. current — electric
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rash — hasty
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rash — a series
  24. mine — belonging to me

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