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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. capital — money
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. capital — a city
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stand — to bear
  10. staff — a stick
  11. board — to get on
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. sharp — clever
  14. board — a committee
  15. rush — hurry
  16. staff — employees
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. staff — employees

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