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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 124 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — of law
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. kid — child
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  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