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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. track — a path
  6. rock — a stone
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. season — in sport
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. track — a song
  17. shower — rain
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. shower — to wash
  22. plane — a tool
  23. season — of the year
  24. track — to keep track

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