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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: capital · suit · prune · bat · pitcher · pass · stand · object

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. object — an aim
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. prune — to trim
  17. capital — money
  18. suit — in cards
  19. capital — a city
  20. object — a thing
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. suit — clothes

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