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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. saw — the tool
  4. current — of water
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. current — electric
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. hand — help
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stand — to bear
  24. current — happening now

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