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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. land — a country
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stand — to bear
  7. suit — in cards
  8. board — to get on
  9. suit — clothes
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. land — to come down
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pitch — completely
  14. season — in sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cue — for pool
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. land — ground
  21. season — of the year
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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