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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. game — a match
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. track — a path
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lie — to recline
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stand — to bear
  18. capital — a city
  19. game — wild animals
  20. track — a song
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bowl — a football final

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