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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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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: firm · game · row · stand · rash · capital · wind · dip

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. row — to paddle
  4. game — a match
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. capital — money
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rash — a series
  12. firm — a company
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. row — a line
  18. wind — moving air
  19. game — wild animals
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. firm — steady
  22. dip — to sink
  23. firm — decided
  24. dip — to dunk

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