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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. season — of the year
  3. ground — the earth
  4. march — music
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. season — in sport
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pop — music
  9. march — the month
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mark — a trace
  12. march — the month
  13. rock — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. stand — to bear
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rock — a stone
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pop — to visit
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ground — a position
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. face — to confront

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