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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. tear — from crying
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. capital — money
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. capital — a city
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pass — a permit
  19. file — a tool
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pass — to succeed

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