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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. fall — the season
  5. last — final
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. suit — to fit
  8. object — a thing
  9. last — to go on
  10. bore — to tire
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pass — a permit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. last — finally
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. capital — a big letter

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