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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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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: content · stand · pass · perch · cabinet · cold · land · cap

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pass — a permit
  3. content — the amount
  4. cap — of ice
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. land — to come down
  16. content — happy
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. land — ground
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. land — a country
  24. cold — an illness

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