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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ball — a great time
  5. capital — a city
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fork — in a road
  12. clip — a video
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. capital — money
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. toast — bread
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. suit — to fit
  23. clip — for paper
  24. arm — a part of something

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