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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: arm · saw · capital · rush · stand · bear · pit · rule

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. capital — money
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. capital — a city
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rule — a law
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rule — government
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pit — a hole

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