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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. clip — for paper
  5. capital — a city
  6. clip — to cut
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. drill — army training
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stand — to bear
  12. march — music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. clip — a video
  15. rock — music
  16. cue — for pool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. march — the month
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cue — a hint
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. drill — the tool

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