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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. ground — a position
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fall — to drop
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stand — to bear
  18. current — happening now
  19. fall — the season
  20. ground — the earth
  21. current — electric
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stand — on your feet
  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