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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.

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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. track — a path
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fall — the season
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — of the year
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fall — to drop
  17. firm — steady
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bound — obliged
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. cap — a lid

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