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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · pop · bear · pass · cold · current · hide · pitcher

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. season — of the year
  8. current — of water
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. season — in sport
  14. current — electric
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cold — an illness
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pop — music
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pass — to succeed

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