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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. chair — a leader
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. clip — to cut
  5. fork — in a road
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. capital — money
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. clip — for paper
  16. squash — to crush
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — a city
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. clip — a video
  24. suit — clothes

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