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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stand — to bear
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. present — there
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. present — a gift
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. present — the time now
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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