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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. plane — a tool
  3. suit — to fit
  4. land — ground
  5. key — in music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. key — for a lock
  8. land — to come down
  9. capital — money
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. suit — in cards
  19. land — a country
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. capital — a city
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stem — to come from

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