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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stand — to bear
  4. club — a group
  5. rule — a law
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — for golf
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cap — a lid
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. scale — in music
  16. board — a committee
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cap — a hat
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rule — government
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. board — to get on

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