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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. firm — a company
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. present — there
  5. capital — a city
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. firm — steady
  14. rock — a stone
  15. present — a gift
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stock — shares
  19. suit — clothes
  20. capital — money
  21. stock — goods
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. firm — decided
  24. present — the time now

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