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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. land — to come down
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bat — the animal
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. land — ground
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. row — a line
  15. capital — a city
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. land — a country
  18. key — in music
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. key — the most important part
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cue — for pool

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