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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. toast — bread
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ground — a position
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. band — a music group
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ground — crushed
  13. capital — money
  14. ground — the earth
  15. band — a ring
  16. capital — a city
  17. rest — a break
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stand — to bear

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