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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. net — in sport
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rule — a law
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bat — the animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. capital — money
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rule — government
  24. rock — music

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