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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stock — goods
  8. capital — money
  9. sharp — clever
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bound — certain
  18. charge — a price
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. charge — in control
  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