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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. capital — money
  3. pass — a permit
  4. present — the time now
  5. chest — of your body
  6. capital — a city
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bound — certain
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bound — obliged
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. present — a gift
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. present — there
  24. racket — a loud noise

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