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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. march — the month
  4. row — a line
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. season — of the year
  7. stand — to bear
  8. row — to paddle
  9. march — music
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. can — to be able to
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. season — in sport
  23. capital — a city
  24. march — the month

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