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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. can — a tin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — for catching
  5. mine — for digging
  6. net — after costs
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cap — a lid
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. can — to be able to
  14. net — in sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mine — an explosive

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