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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. object — to protest
  5. charge — in control
  6. object — a thing
  7. sharp — clever
  8. object — an aim
  9. march — the month
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. march — the month
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. march — music
  17. charge — a price
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. ground — crushed
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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