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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — high quality
  5. craft — boats
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. land — to come down
  8. stand — to bear
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. saw — the tool
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fine — all right
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cap — a lid

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