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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. club — a group
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rash — a series
  9. tube — a container
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. club — for golf
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cap — a hat
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wind — moving air
  24. tube — in a tire

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