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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. clip — to cut
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. land — ground
  12. clip — for paper
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. clip — a video
  15. cap — of ice
  16. board — a committee
  17. land — to come down
  18. mine — for digging
  19. land — a country
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cap — a hat
  23. board — to get on
  24. squash — to crush

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