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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bank — of a river
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. capital — money
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bank — for money
  8. rest — a break
  9. present — there
  10. rest — what's left
  11. present — the time now
  12. band — a ring
  13. present — a gift
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stand — to bear
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rest — what's left
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bank — for money
  22. band — a music group
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bark — of a tree

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