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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. pop — music
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pop — to visit
  8. chair — a leader
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rest — a break
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. squash — to crush
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pop — soda
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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