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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. march — the month
  3. capital — a city
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stem — to come from
  7. root — the cause
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. capital — money
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. march — music
  19. root — of a word
  20. march — the month
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stand — to bear

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