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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. pop — music
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pop — to visit
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. file — a tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. bat — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. file — a document
  13. pass — a permit
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. staff — employees
  24. pass — to spend time

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