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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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. bear — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — for catching
  6. charge — a price
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. capital — money
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. charge — in control
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stand — to bear
  13. branch — a division
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. net — in sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. net — after costs
  24. capital — a city

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