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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. object — a thing
  5. capital — a city
  6. squash — to crush
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. key — for a lock
  9. capital — money
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. squash — the sport
  12. key — in music
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. row — a line
  16. key — the most important part
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cap — a hat
  19. object — an aim
  20. cap — of ice
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. object — to protest
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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