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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 116 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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lean — to bend
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. court — of law
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lean — thin
  12. capital — money
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rock — music
  18. band — a ring
  19. capital — a city
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wound — an injury
  23. band — a music group
  24. rock — a stone

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