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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bound — certain
  6. kick — in football
  7. bound — obliged
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — clothes
  12. scale — size or range
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wound — an injury
  18. scale — in music
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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