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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. craft — boats
  14. wound — an injury
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pit — a hole
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. drill — army training
  19. net — after costs
  20. pit — in a race
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mate — a partner

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