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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. ground — the earth
  4. face — to point toward
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ball — a dance
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. face — to confront
  11. stock — shares
  12. ground — a position
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. capital — money
  17. ground — crushed
  18. suit — clothes
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stock — goods
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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