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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fine — high quality
  6. field — for sport
  7. bound — tied together
  8. clip — to cut
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. clip — a video
  12. field — a subject
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mug — a face
  16. fine — all right
  17. field — farmland
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — certain
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mug — to rob
  24. clip — for paper

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