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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wake — a trail
  3. spell — letters
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. current — happening now
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pitch — completely
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. current — of water
  11. capital — money
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. capital — a city
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. spell — magic
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. spell — a short time
  21. march — music
  22. current — electric
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — part of the body

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