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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. current — electric
  4. kid — child
  5. season — in sport
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. roll — a cake
  13. pound — a weight
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. current — happening now
  18. stand — to bear
  19. date — the fruit
  20. current — of water
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mate — a partner
  23. season — of the year
  24. kid — to tease

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