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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. last — finally
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rest — what's left
  7. suit — clothes
  8. firm — a company
  9. rash — a series
  10. last — final
  11. firm — steady
  12. rest — a break
  13. capital — a city
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. last — to go on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. firm — decided

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