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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 · can · content · stand · capital · dip · cue · hide

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. firm — a company
  2. capital — a city
  3. cue — for pool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — decided
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. can — to be able to
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stand — to bear
  11. dip — to sink
  12. firm — steady
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. content — the amount
  15. cue — a signal
  16. can — a tin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. capital — money
  21. cue — a hint
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. can — a tin
  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