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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. capital — a city
  6. bore — to drill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fork — in a road
  11. capital — money
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. suit — in cards
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. degree — an amount
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. suit — clothes

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