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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. tear — from crying
  3. present — the time now
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. present — a gift
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. tear — to rip
  12. capital — a city
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. present — there
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rash — a series
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. suit — clothes
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. suit — in cards
  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