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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. march — music
  7. capital — money
  8. rest — a break
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. march — the month
  11. fine — all right
  12. capital — a city
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bound — certain
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. foot — a measure
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stand — to bear
  23. march — the month
  24. rest — what's left

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