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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rash — hasty
  14. suit — in cards
  15. game — a match
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rash — a series
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cap — of ice
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cap — a hat

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