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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stand — to bear
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. capital — a city
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wake — a trail
  14. capital — money
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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