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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. plane — a tool
  3. season — in sport
  4. cap — of ice
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. season — of the year
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. toast — bread
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — in music
  16. capital — a city
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cap — a hat
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. capital — a big letter

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