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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. fall — to drop
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. current — happening now
  8. capital — a city
  9. bark — to shout
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. current — of water
  16. suit — to fit
  17. drill — army training
  18. rest — a break
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fall — the season
  23. current — electric
  24. mark — to pay attention

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