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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 116 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. swing — to play on
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stand — to bear
  13. capital — money
  14. swing — music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. craft — a skill
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wake — a trail
  20. craft — boats
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bear — the animal

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