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

Word bank: lie · foot · stand · racket · bear · rule · track · capital

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rule — government
  3. capital — a city
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rule — a law
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. capital — money
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. track — a song
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. track — a path
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. track — to keep track
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bear — the animal

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