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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pass — a permit
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. capital — a city
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. current — happening now
  14. rock — a stone
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — hurry
  20. capital — money
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. trunk — of a tree

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