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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. rest — a break
  3. dip — to sink
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. last — final
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. toast — bread
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. capital — money
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rest — what's left
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rest — what's left
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. snap — to click
  24. mouse — for a computer

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