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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stand — to bear
  8. swing — to play on
  9. row — a line
  10. game — wild animals
  11. spell — magic
  12. mug — to rob
  13. swing — music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. swing — in golf
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — letters
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mug — a face
  21. game — a match
  22. pit — in a race
  23. current — electric
  24. game — a kind of play

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