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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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. drill — the tool
  4. spell — magic
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. club — for golf
  10. capital — a city
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. drill — army training
  14. field — farmland
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. field — a subject
  22. drill — a practice
  23. spell — letters
  24. field — for sport

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