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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stand — to bear
  3. sharp — clever
  4. season — of the year
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. season — in sport
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. march — the month
  13. capital — money
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. capital — a city
  18. march — music
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. march — the month
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rush — to hurry

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