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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wound — an injury
  5. clip — a video
  6. suit — to fit
  7. clip — to cut
  8. mine — for digging
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rule — government
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. clip — for paper
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rule — a law
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stand — to bear
  22. roll — a list
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stand — on your feet

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