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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. game — wild animals
  3. saw — the tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. current — of water
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. saw — the tool
  13. object — to protest
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. game — a match
  17. object — an aim
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mug — a cup
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. season — in sport
  22. stand — to bear
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. object — a thing

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