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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. current — of water
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — a trace
  6. land — ground
  7. object — to protest
  8. land — a country
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. object — an aim
  14. current — electric
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. season — in sport
  17. land — to come down
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pass — a permit
  21. season — of the year
  22. object — a thing
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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