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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lean — thin
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. capital — a city
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pop — soda
  13. cap — of ice
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. capital — money
  17. pop — music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pop — to visit
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. roll — a list
  24. bulb — for light

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