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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pop — to visit
  3. roll — a list
  4. capital — money
  5. rash — a series
  6. pop — soda
  7. firm — steady
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. firm — decided
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. present — there
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rash — hasty
  17. firm — a company
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pop — music
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bowl — a football final

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