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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. club — a group
  3. face — to confront
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. staff — employees
  8. mate — a friend
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. toast — bread
  14. capital — money
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. staff — employees
  18. face — to point toward
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. staff — a stick
  21. face — part of the head
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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