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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rock — a stone
  4. season — in sport
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. rest — a break
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cold — not warm
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pit — a hole
  12. firm — steady
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. firm — a company
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. firm — decided
  21. season — of the year
  22. current — electric
  23. rock — music
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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