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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: stand · cap · capital · squash · game · bay · rest · snap

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. capital — a city
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. squash — the sport
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rest — what's left
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. capital — money
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stand — to bear
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cap — a lid
  20. squash — to crush
  21. snap — to click
  22. game — a match
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cap — a hat

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