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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. capital — a city
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lean — to bend
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. net — after costs
  11. rash — hasty
  12. suit — clothes
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. capital — money
  19. rash — a series
  20. net — for catching
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lean — thin
  23. snap — to click
  24. march — music

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