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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 · rule · calf · fan · bear · game · bound

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bound — certain
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. game — a match
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stand — to bear
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rule — a law
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stand — for spectators
  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