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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stand — to bear
  3. drill — army training
  4. net — for catching
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mark — a trace
  8. net — in sport
  9. cap — a hat
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mark — a grade
  15. net — after costs
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. drill — the tool

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