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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. land — to come down
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. season — of the year
  5. cell — in biology
  6. march — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. march — the month
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cell — a phone
  12. sharp — clever
  13. land — a country
  14. pit — a hole
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stand — to bear
  19. season — in sport
  20. march — the month
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pit — in a race
  23. land — ground
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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