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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · arm · bat · track · rush · roll · plane · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. can — a tin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. capital — a city
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. track — a path
  10. capital — money
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. can — to be able to
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rush — hurry
  18. can — a tin
  19. roll — a list
  20. track — a song
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. roll — a cake
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bat — for baseball

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