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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. present — a gift
  5. drill — army training
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. present — the time now
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. band — a music group
  12. net — in sport
  13. drill — the tool
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bore — to drill
  16. stand — to bear
  17. net — for catching
  18. bore — to tire
  19. present — there
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. band — a ring
  23. net — after costs
  24. season — in sport

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