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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. deal — to handle
  12. season — in sport
  13. cap — a lid
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rash — a series
  22. cap — of ice
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bulb — for light

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