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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. net — in sport
  3. capital — a city
  4. pop — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. suit — to fit
  7. net — for catching
  8. pop — soda
  9. press — newspapers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. net — after costs
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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