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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. sharp — clever
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. capital — money
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. present — the time now
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. capital — a city
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rest — a break
  21. pit — in a race
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. ball — a dance

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