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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wound — an injury
  3. charge — a price
  4. ground — a position
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. swing — music
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. bore — to drill
  13. roll — a list
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. charge — in control
  16. current — happening now
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wound — an injury
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bore — to tire
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stand — to bear

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