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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. club — a group
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. capital — money
  11. stand — to bear
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for golf
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wound — an injury
  20. club — for dancing
  21. capital — a city
  22. ground — a position
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. wound — an injury

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