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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. season — in sport
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. squash — to crush
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. can — a tin
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rule — government
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rule — a law
  22. season — of the year
  23. pass — a permit
  24. capital — a city

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