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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. drill — a practice
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fine — all right
  9. stand — to bear
  10. drill — the tool
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. branch — a division
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. capital — money
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. capital — a city
  18. drill — army training
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. chest — of your body
  24. race — humankind

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