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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. track — a song
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. capital — money
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. court — of law
  7. plane — a tool
  8. chair — a leader
  9. track — a path
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bore — to tire
  16. court — of a king
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. court — for sport
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rush — to hurry

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