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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. net — for catching
  5. rock — music
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — a stone
  9. capital — a city
  10. degree — from a university
  11. suit — to fit
  12. capital — money
  13. net — after costs
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fork — to eat with

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