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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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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: stand · key · capital · press · wind · track · fall · pit

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. capital — money
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fall — the season
  5. wind — moving air
  6. track — a path
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wind — moving air
  9. key — in music
  10. capital — a city
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. track — to keep track
  13. press — to push
  14. key — the most important part
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fall — to drop
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pit — a hole
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. track — a song

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