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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bass — low music
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. file — a tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pit — a hole
  14. file — a document
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pit — in a race
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. season — of the year
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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