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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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. bound — obliged
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bound — certain
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stand — to bear
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — clothes
  22. content — happy
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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