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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. board — to get on
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. land — a country
  13. sharp — clever
  14. land — to come down
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cold — not warm
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. land — ground
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. craft — boats
  22. board — a committee
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cold — an illness

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