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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. capital — a city
  3. ball — a dance
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. rest — a break
  7. land — to come down
  8. pitch — completely
  9. land — a country
  10. capital — money
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. firm — decided
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. spell — a short time
  22. ball — a great time
  23. land — ground
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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