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

Word bank: roll · fall · firm · pitcher · current · cell · stand · season

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. current — happening now
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. stand — to bear
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fall — to drop
  10. roll — a list
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cell — a phone
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. season — in sport
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. roll — a cake
  21. season — of the year
  22. cell — in biology
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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