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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pop — soda
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bound — certain
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. capital — a city
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bound — obliged
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pop — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. capital — money
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stand — to bear
  24. capital — a big letter

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