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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. sharp — clever
  3. firm — a company
  4. mark — a grade
  5. suit — clothes
  6. last — final
  7. capital — a city
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. last — finally
  11. staff — a stick
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. suit — in cards
  15. capital — money
  16. mark — a trace
  17. firm — decided
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. suit — to fit
  22. last — to go on
  23. firm — steady
  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