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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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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: mate · pit · stand · wound · content · bear · season · plane

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. content — happy
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. content — the amount
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mate — to breed
  19. plane — a tool
  20. season — of the year
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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