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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tear — to rip
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rash — hasty
  5. capital — money
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. rash — a series
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. race — humankind
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stand — to bear
  18. race — a contest
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pitch — completely

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