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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. kid — to tease
  3. drill — army training
  4. stand — to bear
  5. suit — clothes
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. suit — to fit
  9. capital — money
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. drill — a practice
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. kid — child
  23. drill — the tool
  24. suit — in cards

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