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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. current — electric
  3. present — there
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. current — happening now
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — of water
  12. ball — a great time
  13. present — a gift
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. present — the time now
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bound — tied together

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