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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. dip — to sink
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. net — for catching
  6. plane — a tool
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. capital — a city
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — in sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. net — after costs
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. toast — bread
  24. plane — in geometry

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