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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — of the year
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cap — a lid
  12. season — in sport
  13. suit — to fit
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rest — a break
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rest — what's left
  24. suit — in cards

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