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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pass — a permit
  4. capital — money
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. current — electric
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rock — a stone
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. current — happening now
  16. capital — a city
  17. toast — bread
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. current — of water
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitch — completely

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