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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bound — certain
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. squash — the sport
  5. capital — a city
  6. suit — clothes
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. suit — in cards
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bound — tied together
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. scale — in music
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. file — a document
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. capital — money
  17. scale — size or range
  18. file — a tool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. dip — to sink
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bound — obliged
  24. scale — for weighing

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