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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. file — a document
  3. suit — to fit
  4. file — a tool
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bass — low music
  16. rush — hurry
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. capital — a city
  20. snap — to click
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. suit — in cards

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