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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rest — what's left
  5. court — of a king
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stand — to bear
  10. court — of law
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rest — a break
  13. court — for sport
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. capital — money
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tear — to rip

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