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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 116 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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. net — for catching
  3. pass — a permit
  4. net — after costs
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cold — not warm
  11. object — a thing
  12. capital — a city
  13. net — in sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. capital — money

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