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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 116 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: staff · pop · stand · capital · bore · ground · rule · kid

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pop — soda
  4. ground — the earth
  5. staff — employees
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. pop — to visit
  11. ground — a position
  12. rule — government
  13. staff — employees
  14. bore — to drill
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pop — music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ground — crushed
  24. capital — a big letter

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