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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pop — to visit
  8. current — electric
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stand — to bear
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — of water
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pop — soda
  24. current — happening now

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