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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. track — a path
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. track — a song
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rule — a law
  14. track — to keep track
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wound — an injury
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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