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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pit — a hole
  6. march — the month
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. club — a group
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. stand — on your feet

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