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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. firm — steady
  6. roll — a cake
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stand — to bear
  16. firm — a company
  17. capital — money
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — decided
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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