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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cell — a phone
  5. board — to get on
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cell — in a prison

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