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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ground — a position
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. spell — magic
  8. charge — a price
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. capital — money
  14. spell — a short time
  15. charge — electricity
  16. capital — a city
  17. lean — thin
  18. spell — letters
  19. stand — to bear
  20. charge — in control
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pound — to hit hard

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