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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — government
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. can — a tin
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. can — to be able to
  11. band — a music group
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. present — the time now
  22. rock — a stone
  23. present — there
  24. rock — music

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