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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. current — of water
  3. land — to come down
  4. march — the month
  5. drill — a practice
  6. land — a country
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. current — happening now
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. drill — the tool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. key — in music
  13. land — ground
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rush — hurry
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. key — the most important part
  18. march — the month
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. key — for a lock
  21. march — music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. current — electric
  24. drill — army training

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