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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. capital — a city
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mate — a friend
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pass — a permit

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