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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. date — the fruit
  6. current — electric
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pit — a hole
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — letters
  12. current — happening now
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. current — of water
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — magic
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. spell — a short time

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