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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. capital — money
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rest — what's left
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rest — a break
  12. rock — music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. chair — a leader
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rest — what's left
  21. capital — a city
  22. degree — temperature
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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