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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — electricity
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. march — the month
  13. stand — to bear
  14. charge — a price
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. march — music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. charge — in control
  24. mark — a trace

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