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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. foot — a measure
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pop — soda
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pop — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stand — on your feet

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