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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitch — completely
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. kid — child
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. kid — to tease
  16. capital — money
  17. mate — to breed
  18. board — to get on
  19. mate — a friend
  20. capital — a city
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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