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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stand — to bear
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. capital — a city
  8. fork — in a road
  9. capital — money
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. saw — the tool
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. season — of the year
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. season — in sport

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