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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. content — the amount
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pitch — completely
  13. content — happy
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rule — a law
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mark — a grade
  23. firm — a company
  24. rule — government

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