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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rock — music
  4. present — there
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. present — the time now
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — a hole
  11. key — for a lock
  12. shower — rain
  13. net — for catching
  14. present — a gift
  15. net — in sport
  16. key — in music
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rock — a stone
  20. net — after costs
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wave — with your hand

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