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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. chest — of your body
  3. file — a document
  4. capital — money
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. season — of the year
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. club — a group
  14. file — a line of people
  15. season — in sport
  16. hand — help
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. capital — a city
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. file — a tool
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. club — for golf
  24. stand — to bear

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