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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. track — a song
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. hand — in cards
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. hand — help
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mark — a grade
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rock — music
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. track — a path

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