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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. ball — a great time
  10. file — a document
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wake — a trail
  20. file — a tool
  21. capital — a city
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — a supporter
  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