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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. object — to protest
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. object — a thing
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cap — a hat
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bass — the fish
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. cap — a lid
  14. tear — from crying
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. tear — to rip
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stand — to bear
  20. toast — bread
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. object — an aim

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