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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ground — a position
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ground — crushed
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rule — a law
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rule — government
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bat — the animal

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