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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. capital — a city
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. court — of a king
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. cell — in biology
  14. swing — to play on
  15. tube — the underground
  16. capital — money
  17. tube — a container
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rule — a law
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rule — government
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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