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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mug — a face
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. key — in music
  7. mug — a cup
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. capital — a city
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mug — to rob
  18. capital — money
  19. root — the cause
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. root — of a word
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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