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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. mine — for digging
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. swing — music
  16. chair — a leader
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cap — a lid
  23. swing — to play on
  24. chair — a professorship

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