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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. object — to protest
  7. stand — to bear
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. sharp — clever
  12. object — an aim
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. capital — money
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. season — of the year
  19. track — a song
  20. fall — the season
  21. track — a path
  22. fall — to drop
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. capital — a city

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