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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. snap — to click
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. court — for sport
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. court — of a king
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bore — to tire
  23. court — of law
  24. bore — to drill

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