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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. object — to protest
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ball — a great time
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. object — a thing
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. object — an aim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wind — to turn a key

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