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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. spring — the season
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pit — in a race
  12. drill — army training
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rock — a stone
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. drill — the tool
  19. spring — of water
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. kick — in football
  24. pit — a hole

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