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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. snap — to click
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rock — music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fork — in a road
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. capital — money
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fine — all right
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fork — a garden tool

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