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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. capital — money
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. court — of law
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bore — to tire
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. capital — a city
  11. roll — a list
  12. prune — to trim
  13. court — of a king
  14. bear — the animal
  15. roll — a cake
  16. court — for sport
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lie — an untruth

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