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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 120 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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — finally
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stock — shares
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. last — to go on
  10. capital — a city
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lean — thin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. capital — money
  18. stand — to bear
  19. last — final
  20. stock — goods
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stock — a soup base

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