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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. foot — a measure
  3. season — of the year
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. mine — for digging
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. band — a music group
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. season — in 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