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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.

Words on the sheet
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: pop · pass · present · bear · capital · fall · land · chair

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. land — to come down
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pop — soda
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fall — the season
  8. present — there
  9. land — a country
  10. pop — music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. capital — a city
  13. chair — a leader
  14. present — the time now
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. land — ground
  20. present — a gift
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. chair — a professorship
  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