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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. season — in sport
  4. current — electric
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. perch — the fish
  9. race — the arms race
  10. charge — in control
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. charge — a price
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pitch — completely
  16. charge — electricity
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. race — humankind
  19. season — of the year
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. race — a contest
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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