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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. suit — in cards
  3. last — finally
  4. capital — a city
  5. key — the most important part
  6. suit — to fit
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. key — in music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stand — to bear
  12. craft — boats
  13. capital — money
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. last — to go on
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. key — for a lock
  18. suit — clothes
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fine — all right

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