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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stand — to bear
  3. tube — the underground
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. land — ground
  9. cap — a hat
  10. court — of law
  11. cap — of ice
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. court — of a king
  15. tube — a container
  16. fine — high quality
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pop — to visit
  20. key — in music
  21. pop — soda
  22. fine — all right
  23. cap — a lid
  24. court — for sport

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