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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cold — an illness
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. shower — to wash
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rule — a law
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stand — to bear
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rule — government
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cold — not warm

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