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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cap — of ice
  5. land — a country
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. hand — in cards
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. season — in sport
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. land — to come down
  13. season — of the year
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. hand — help
  16. stand — to bear
  17. suit — in cards
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. content — happy
  20. land — ground
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fork — in a road
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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