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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rash — a series
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. capital — a city
  12. ground — a position
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lean — to bend
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mark — a trace
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. court — of a king
  24. lean — thin

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