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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wake — a trail
  3. suit — clothes
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wound — an injury
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. roll — a list
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wound — an injury
  14. chip — for betting
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chip — to eat
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. capital — money
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. capital — a city

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