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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · cold · field · current · court · staff · object · stand

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. object — a thing
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. object — to protest
  5. court — of a king
  6. cold — not warm
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. court — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. object — an aim
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pit — in a race
  16. staff — employees
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. current — electric
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. court — of law
  22. current — happening now
  23. staff — employees
  24. cold — an illness

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