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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. mark — a trace
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — a tin
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. can — to be able to
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. can — a tin
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. perch — the fish
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. capital — money

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