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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. current — of water
  3. season — in sport
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. current — electric
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. current — happening now
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bore — to drill
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stand — to bear
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. season — to add flavour

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