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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. file — a document
  3. cap — of ice
  4. capital — a city
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cap — a hat
  9. net — after costs
  10. perch — the fish
  11. club — for golf
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. net — in sport
  14. club — for dancing
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. club — a group
  18. cap — a lid
  19. net — for catching
  20. file — a line of people
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. file — a tool
  24. capital — a big letter

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