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

Word bank: cap · rest · perch · lie · content · sharp · rock · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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 big letter
  2. rest — what's left
  3. perch — the fish
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — a stone
  8. content — happy
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — clever
  12. capital — a city
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cap — of ice
  15. content — the amount
  16. rest — a break
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. lie — to recline
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rock — music
  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