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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pit — in a race
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pit — a hole
  7. season — of the year
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. staff — employees
  11. stand — to bear
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. staff — employees
  16. game — a match
  17. current — of water
  18. branch — a division
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. game — wild animals
  22. net — after costs
  23. season — in sport
  24. game — a kind of play

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