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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stand — to bear
  3. deal — to handle
  4. file — a line of people
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. roll — a cake
  9. current — of water
  10. file — a document
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. date — the fruit
  13. current — electric
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. file — a tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rash — a series
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. roll — a list
  24. pitch — a sports field

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