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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. current — happening now
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. club — for golf
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. scale — in music
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. spring — the season
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. club — for dancing
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spring — of water
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. club — a group

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