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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 124 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spring — of water
  5. rule — government
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. spring — the season
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rule — a law
  19. content — happy
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bound — certain
  22. content — the amount
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cap — a hat

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