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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — money
  6. craft — boats
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pit — a hole
  12. march — the month
  13. file — a document
  14. bulb — for light
  15. file — a tool
  16. march — music
  17. pound — a weight
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. march — the month
  21. capital — a city
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mouse — for a computer

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