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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. staff — a stick
  4. race — humankind
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pass — a permit
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. kid — child
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. staff — employees
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. staff — employees
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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