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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. track — a song
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. row — a line
  8. prune — to trim
  9. capital — money
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — to paddle
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. track — to keep track
  16. kid — child
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. kid — to tease
  19. court — of a king
  20. capital — a city
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. track — a path

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