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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. charge — a price
  5. season — in sport
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. charge — electricity
  12. hand — help
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. season — of the year
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. charge — in control
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. march — music
  21. stand — to bear
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. hand — in cards

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