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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. capital — a city
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. capital — money
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. present — a gift
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bore — to tire
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cap — a hat
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. present — there
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bore — to drill

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