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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. toast — bread
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wound — an injury
  12. face — to point toward
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mark — a grade
  16. roll — a list
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mark — a trace
  23. face — to confront
  24. roll — on a roll

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