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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — an injury
  4. suit — to fit
  5. track — a song
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pound — a weight
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. suit — clothes
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wound — an injury
  18. track — a path
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pop — to visit
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. capital — money

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