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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. capital — a city
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chair — a leader
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. staff — employees
  13. capital — money
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stand — to bear
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. staff — a stick
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. staff — employees
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lean — thin

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