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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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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 · rush · cabinet · foot · wind · wake · court · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wake — a trail
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. capital — a city
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wind — moving air
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. capital — money
  17. court — of a king
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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