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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 120 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: stick · capital · ruler · suit · stand · pit · content · bat

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pit — a hole
  8. content — happy
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stand — to bear
  11. capital — a city
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. capital — money
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. content — the amount
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bat — the animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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