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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fine — all right
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. club — for golf
  24. fine — high quality

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