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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fall — the season
  3. season — of the year
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. rash — a series
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. current — electric
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. season — in sport
  15. stand — to bear
  16. current — of water
  17. rash — hasty
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mark — a trace
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. band — a rubber band

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