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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. row — a line
  9. tube — the underground
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. spell — a short time
  12. row — to paddle
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. capital — money
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. deal — to handle
  21. tube — a container
  22. capital — a city
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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