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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pit — a hole
  5. charge — a price
  6. cap — of ice
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. season — of the year
  11. charge — in control
  12. cap — a hat
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pit — in a race
  15. season — in sport
  16. scale — in music
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators

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