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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: swing · suit · bore · safe · pit · stand · capital · toast

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pit — in a race
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. capital — a city
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bore — to tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bore — to drill
  16. swing — music
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. swing — to play on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stand — to bear
  23. toast — bread
  24. stand — for spectators

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