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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 124 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stand — to bear
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mine — for digging
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. current — happening now
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chest — of your body
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bat — the animal
  20. chest — a box
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. toast — bread

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