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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. season — in sport
  3. cold — an illness
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. club — for dancing
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stand — to bear
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. key — for a lock
  15. season — of the year
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cold — not warm
  18. suit — to fit
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. key — in music
  22. ball — a dance
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. chest — of your body

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