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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spell — letters
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stand — to bear
  6. land — to come down
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. land — a country
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rash — a series
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. spell — magic
  23. cap — of ice
  24. land — ground

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