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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. staff — employees
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rush — hurry
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fall — the season
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. board — to get on
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — a committee
  24. staff — a stick

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