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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. branch — a division
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — a hat
  13. land — to come down
  14. key — in music
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. land — a country
  17. key — the most important part
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rest — a break
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — what's left
  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