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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pop — music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. season — in sport
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pop — to visit

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