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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. march — the month
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. march — music
  14. ground — a position
  15. bat — the animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. march — the month
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chair — a leader
  20. capital — money
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. ground — crushed

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