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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. suit — to fit
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rest — a break
  9. capital — money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mark — a grade
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. scale — in music
  18. kid — child
  19. scale — size or range
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mark — a trace
  22. suit — in cards
  23. kid — to tease
  24. suit — clothes

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