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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. content — the amount
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. object — an aim
  16. sharp — clever
  17. content — happy
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rush — hurry
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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