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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. suit — clothes
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. suit — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. can — to be able to
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pit — in a race
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rock — music
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pit — a hole
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. capital — a city
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. can — a tin

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