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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. present — the time now
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. present — a gift
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rush — hurry
  8. present — there
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rest — what's left
  11. season — in sport
  12. race — humankind
  13. rest — a break
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pound — a weight
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. race — a contest
  24. perch — for a bird

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