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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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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. current — happening now
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bear — the animal
  8. current — electric
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — of water
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pass — to spend time

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