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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. land — a country
  5. fine — all right
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bound — certain
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. land — ground
  12. fine — high quality
  13. land — to come down
  14. bound — tied together
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bound — obliged
  17. capital — money
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stand — to bear
  20. season — of the year
  21. rest — what's left
  22. season — in sport
  23. rest — a break
  24. capital — a city

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