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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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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: bass · file · rule · wound · content · cap · stand · land

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. land — a country
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bass — low music
  5. content — happy
  6. file — a document
  7. land — to come down
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rule — government
  17. cap — of ice
  18. content — the amount
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rule — a law
  23. land — ground
  24. file — a tool

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