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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. suit — in cards
  3. game — a match
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. suit — clothes
  10. last — final
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. game — wild animals
  13. scale — size or range
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. scale — in music
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. last — finally
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stand — to bear
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. last — to go on
  23. pass — a permit
  24. suit — to fit

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