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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mark — a grade
  3. tear — to rip
  4. firm — a company
  5. fork — in a road
  6. object — an aim
  7. firm — decided
  8. capital — money
  9. clip — to cut
  10. firm — steady
  11. object — to protest
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. clip — a video
  14. capital — a city
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. object — a thing
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mark — a trace
  24. toast — bread

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