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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stand — to bear
  7. land — ground
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rest — a break
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. land — a country
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — temperature
  24. stand — on your feet

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