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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stand — to bear
  7. capital — a city
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. capital — money
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stem — to come from
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. content — the amount
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mug — a face
  24. content — happy

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