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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. capital — money
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. dip — to sink
  16. capital — a city
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. deal — to handle
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lean — thin
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stand — on your feet

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