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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. capital — money
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. plane — a tool
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stock — goods
  19. capital — a city
  20. track — a path
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stock — shares
  24. wound — an injury

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