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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. capital — money
  4. firm — decided
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. firm — a company
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ground — the earth
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. staff — employees
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. staff — a stick
  18. capital — a city
  19. firm — steady
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. staff — employees

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