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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. capital — a city
  4. cap — a hat
  5. firm — a company
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. prune — to trim
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. capital — money
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cap — of ice
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pop — soda
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. prune — the fruit

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