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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. object — a thing
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. capital — a city
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wound — an injury
  13. net — in sport
  14. capital — money
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. object — to protest
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. object — an aim

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