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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. firm — a company
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pop — soda
  4. firm — decided
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bore — to tire
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — thin
  10. capital — money
  11. pop — music
  12. firm — steady
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pop — to visit
  17. capital — a city
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. land — ground
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lean — to bend
  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