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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. court — for sport
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stand — to bear
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. court — of law
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. can — a tin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — a tin
  23. capital — money
  24. stem — of a plant

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