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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. row — to paddle
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. drill — army training
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. capital — a city
  15. row — a line
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. drill — a practice
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. snap — to click
  21. capital — money
  22. toast — bread
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. drill — the tool

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