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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. suit — clothes
  3. capital — money
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. perch — the fish
  10. suit — in cards
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. suit — to fit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. track — a path
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. capital — a city
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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