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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mug — a cup
  3. capital — a city
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spell — letters
  6. rock — music
  7. capital — money
  8. spell — magic
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mug — a face
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chair — a leader

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