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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. mug — a face
  4. pass — a permit
  5. sharp — clever
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bank — of a river
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rock — a stone
  10. capital — a city
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bank — for money
  13. toast — bread
  14. deal — to handle
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mug — to rob
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bank — for money
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. capital — money

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