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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. key — in music
  6. capital — a city
  7. charge — in control
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. charge — a price
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. key — the most important part
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. net — after costs
  18. stand — to bear
  19. net — in sport
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. net — for catching
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. capital — money

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