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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stand — to bear
  3. current — happening now
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. court — of law
  11. present — the time now
  12. rest — a break
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. present — there
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. court — for sport
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rash — a series
  20. current — electric
  21. court — of a king
  22. current — of water
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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