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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bass — the fish
  3. charge — in control
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cap — a hat
  6. band — a music group
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. band — a ring
  10. bass — low music
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cap — a lid
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fine — high quality
  20. charge — a price
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fine — all right
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bass — the instrument

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