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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. capital — a city
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. capital — money
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rock — music

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