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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 best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cap — of ice
  16. capital — money
  17. rest — what's left
  18. march — the month
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rest — a break
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stand — to bear
  23. capital — a city
  24. mark — a trace

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