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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. content — happy
  4. lie — to recline
  5. court — of law
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. swing — in golf
  8. board — a committee
  9. cap — a hat
  10. board — to get on
  11. mate — a friend
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cap — a lid
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cap — of ice
  17. court — of a king
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. court — for sport
  21. swing — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — the amount
  24. stand — on your feet

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