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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. tube — a container
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mark — a trace
  6. capital — a city
  7. court — for sport
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. court — of law
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. plane — a tool
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. tube — the underground
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pass — a permit
  23. capital — money
  24. court — of a king

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