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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ground — the earth
  4. shower — rain
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. charge — a price
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — for dancing
  11. land — a country
  12. ground — crushed
  13. club — a group
  14. ground — a position
  15. charge — in control
  16. club — for golf
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. shower — to wash
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stand — to bear
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. cabinet — ministers

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