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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. staff — employees
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cold — not warm
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. shower — rain
  11. land — ground
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — employees
  14. land — to come down
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. land — a country
  19. shower — to wash
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cold — an illness
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. staff — a stick
  24. racket — a loud noise

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