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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. capital — money
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ball — a dance
  6. spell — magic
  7. capital — a city
  8. suit — in cards
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. spell — a short time
  11. branch — a division
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rule — government
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rule — a law
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. spell — letters
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. foot — a measure
  23. suit — to fit
  24. foot — part of the body

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