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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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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: date · capital · bore · present · rush · stand · pass · season

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pass — a permit
  3. present — there
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. present — the time now
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. capital — money
  11. present — a gift
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. season — of the year
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. season — in sport
  17. date — the fruit
  18. capital — a city
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rush — hurry
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pass — to succeed

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