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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cap — a hat
  3. board — a committee
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. drill — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. saw — the tool
  15. land — a country
  16. cap — a lid
  17. drill — a practice
  18. board — to get on
  19. drill — army training
  20. stock — shares
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cap — of ice
  24. can — a tin

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