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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. capital — a city
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. capital — money
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lie — to recline
  14. squash — to crush
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. march — the month
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. deal — to handle
  24. foot — the bottom

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