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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. key — in music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. foot — a measure
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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