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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. kid — to tease
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. suit — in cards
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. degree — an amount
  13. vault — a safe
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. degree — temperature
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. stock — goods
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kid — child
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. stock — shares

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