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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. land — to come down
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — a country
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. land — ground
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rule — a law
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rule — government
  22. deal — to handle
  23. face — to confront
  24. date — on the calendar

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