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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 116 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cap — of ice
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chair — a leader
  5. current — happening now
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. current — electric
  8. capital — a city
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. capital — money
  11. current — of water
  12. drill — the tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — a division
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cap — a hat
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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