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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. club — for dancing
  5. cold — an illness
  6. season — in sport
  7. suit — clothes
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. club — a group
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fine — all right
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cold — not warm
  15. season — of the year
  16. club — for golf
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. present — there
  24. suit — in cards

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