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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. suit — in cards
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. chair — a leader
  8. suit — clothes
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. club — for golf
  11. net — in sport
  12. club — a group
  13. kick — in football
  14. club — for dancing
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. plane — a tool
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. capital — money

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