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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fine — all right
  4. press — newspapers
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. capital — money
  14. spell — magic
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. press — to push
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. spell — letters
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wind — moving air

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