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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. content — the amount
  7. season — in sport
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. content — happy
  13. rule — government
  14. season — of the year
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rule — a law

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