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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wind — moving air
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stand — to bear
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stand — for spectators

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