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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. sharp — clever
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. capital — money
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. bank — for money
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. court — of law
  17. object — a thing
  18. row — to paddle
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. bank — of a river
  22. capital — a city
  23. row — a line
  24. toast — bread

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