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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. net — in sport
  3. capital — a city
  4. last — final
  5. suit — in cards
  6. last — to go on
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. net — for catching
  10. last — finally
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. net — after costs
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pound — a weight
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wake — a trail
  23. capital — money
  24. mouse — the animal

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