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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. band — a ring
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rule — government
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. band — a music group
  9. rule — a law
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stand — to bear
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — to keep secret

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