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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. roll — a list
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. board — to get on
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stand — to bear
  15. roll — a cake
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cap — of ice
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. prune — to trim
  22. board — a committee
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bat — the animal

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