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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. march — the month
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. current — of water
  6. march — music
  7. can — to be able to
  8. current — electric
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. capital — money
  12. pass — a permit
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. object — a thing
  16. stand — to bear
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. capital — a city
  20. current — happening now
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — the month
  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