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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. vault — a safe
  8. content — the amount
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. spell — magic
  11. content — happy
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. spell — letters
  20. fine — all right
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cap — a lid
  23. spell — a short time
  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