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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · track · stand · capital · court · safe · rest · object

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. track — a song
  4. object — a thing
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rest — what's left
  7. track — a path
  8. capital — a city
  9. court — of law
  10. mark — a grade
  11. object — to protest
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. court — for sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rest — a break
  19. capital — money
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mark — a trace
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. court — of a king
  24. object — an aim

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