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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rock — a stone
  6. branch — a division
  7. land — a country
  8. current — happening now
  9. land — to come down
  10. current — electric
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. land — ground
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rock — music
  19. cell — a phone
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. current — of water
  24. pitch — completely

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