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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. current — of water
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. current — happening now
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. ground — crushed
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. current — electric
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. toast — bread
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ground — the earth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. game — a match
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ground — a position

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