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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. current — happening now
  4. stand — to bear
  5. staff — a stick
  6. kick — in football
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — the time now
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. current — electric
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. root — of a word
  13. ball — a great time
  14. present — there
  15. rash — hasty
  16. root — of a plant
  17. staff — employees
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. root — the cause
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rash — a series
  22. current — of water
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. present — a gift

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