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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. file — a line of people
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. capital — a city
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rock — a stone
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. tube — the underground
  13. file — a tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. suit — in cards
  16. file — a document
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rock — music
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. capital — money
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. suit — to fit

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