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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pit — in a race
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fall — the season
  9. stand — to bear
  10. craft — boats
  11. content — happy
  12. game — a match
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hand — help
  15. rock — music
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rock — a stone
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. game — a kind of play

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