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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. roll — a cake
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fine — all right
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. capital — a city
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. prune — to trim
  14. capital — money
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. roll — a list
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stand — to bear
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. capital — a big letter

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