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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wound — an injury
  12. branch — a division
  13. deal — to handle
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. season — of the year
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. capital — money
  20. ball — a dance
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. capital — a city
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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