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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. face — to point toward
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. capital — a city
  6. stock — shares
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. face — to confront
  9. staff — employees
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stock — goods
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lean — to bend
  23. staff — employees
  24. capital — a big letter

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