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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bark — to shout
  3. net — after costs
  4. staff — a stick
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — employees
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lean — to bend
  15. net — for catching
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. net — in sport
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. season — of the year
  23. lean — thin
  24. stand — to bear

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