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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. cap — a hat
  8. net — after costs
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bank — for money
  12. can — to be able to
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bank — for money
  15. stand — to bear
  16. shower — rain
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cap — of ice
  20. can — a tin
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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