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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. capital — a city
  4. kid — child
  5. board — a committee
  6. current — of water
  7. board — to get on
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. content — the amount
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. capital — money
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. current — happening now
  20. content — happy
  21. current — electric
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. kid — to tease

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