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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cue — a hint
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. board — to get on
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cue — a signal
  14. land — a country
  15. board — a committee
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. land — ground
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chest — a box
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. land — to come down

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