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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. capital — a city
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. capital — money
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bulb — 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