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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. fall — to drop
  3. land — a country
  4. fall — the season
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. capital — money
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bass — low music
  14. land — ground
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stand — to bear
  21. land — to come down
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cue — a signal

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