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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. hand — help
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. hand — in cards
  5. capital — money
  6. tube — the underground
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pitch — completely
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. capital — a city
  13. stand — to bear
  14. race — a contest
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. race — humankind
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. race — the arms race
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. tube — a container
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. scale — in music
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. leaves — lets stay

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