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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mug — to rob
  4. file — a line of people
  5. race — humankind
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. firm — decided
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. race — a contest
  11. dip — to sink
  12. race — the arms race
  13. file — a document
  14. capital — a city
  15. stand — to bear
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. file — a tool
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. suit — clothes
  20. firm — steady
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. suit — to fit
  24. firm — a company

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