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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. fork — in a road
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. land — to come down
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. capital — a city
  13. lean — thin
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. land — ground
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. stand — to bear
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. net — for catching
  22. land — a country
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. capital — money

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