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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 116 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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468
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: ground · mine · mate · perch · capital · stand · hide · firm

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. firm — decided
  4. capital — a city
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mine — for digging
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stand — to bear
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ground — a position
  17. firm — a company
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. firm — steady
  21. ground — crushed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. capital — money
  24. hide — to keep secret

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