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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. file — a line of people
  3. capital — a city
  4. toast — bread
  5. bound — certain
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. charge — electricity
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stand — to bear
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. file — a document
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. charge — a price
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. charge — in control
  23. file — a tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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