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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — of water
  5. mate — to breed
  6. season — of the year
  7. current — happening now
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. court — of a king
  10. fall — to drop
  11. court — for sport
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pit — a hole
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stock — goods
  20. court — of law
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. current — electric
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stock — shares

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