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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: mark · wake · shower · row · foot · capital · net · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. shower — rain
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. shower — to wash
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mark — a trace
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. foot — a measure
  15. row — a line
  16. net — after costs
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mark — a grade
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. capital — a city
  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