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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · cap · temple · cold · pitcher · deal · charge · roll

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — not warm
  10. roll — a list
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stand — to bear
  16. charge — electricity
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. charge — a price
  24. cap — of ice

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