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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cap — a hat
  7. capital — a city
  8. file — a tool
  9. roll — a cake
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rest — what's left
  12. foot — a measure
  13. suit — clothes
  14. roll — a list
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rest — a break
  20. bass — low music
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rest — what's left
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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