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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. squash — the sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. charge — in control
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wind — moving air
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. capital — money
  22. wind — moving air
  23. charge — electricity
  24. capital — a city

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