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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: date · suit · capital · tube · spell · foot · pop · perch

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. perch — the fish
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pop — to visit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — in cards
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. foot — a measure
  10. spell — a short time
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. tube — a container
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. spell — letters
  17. capital — a city
  18. suit — to fit
  19. spell — magic
  20. pop — soda
  21. capital — money
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pop — music
  24. perch — for a bird

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