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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rule — government
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bore — to drill
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. capital — a city
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. capital — money
  22. suit — in cards
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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